Kaviza adds iPhone, iPad, Android to virtual desktop package

Users of iPhones, iPads or Android-based smartphones can access virtualized Windows desktops using version 3.1 of Kaviza's VDI-in-a-box product, the company said on Wednesday.

VDI-in-a-box is a software appliance that is installed on a server with a hypervisor. It allows companies to run Windows images across multiple desktop systems from central servers. The goal with VDI-in-a-box and other virtual desktop platforms is to reduce management costs. For example, when the operating system or an application is updated, the IT department only needs to patch a few images as opposed to hundreds of individual desktops, according to Kaviza.

Any device compatible with the latest versions of the Citrix Receiver -- including PCs, Macs and thin clients -- can now access Kaviza desktops, the company said. In April, Citrix invested an undisclosed sum in Kaviza.

Other improvements in VDI-in-a-box version 3.1 include the ability to virtualize the 64-bit version of Windows 7 and authenticate employees using smart cards. The products has also been certified to run on VMware's ESX 4.1 hypervisor.

VDI-in-a-box 3.1 is aimed at small and medium sized companies; installations make sense from about 25 desktops, according to Kaviza.

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